I don’t want to divert from the topic here, but thanks, I’ll see if I lose less power when lowering the trainer resistance and using a bigger gear (got a Tacx Neo 2T). It definitely does feel as if I had to do tiny accelerations at every pedal stroke which are not there when riding outdoors and this is what kills my legs / wastes energy.
1 Like
Doing VO2 intervals on my Kickr are achieveable in “bigger gears” (50 chainring and something like 14 cassette), but my HR will explode if doing in “smaller gears” (34 chainring and something like 30 cassette).
But untrained subjects and 3mins was classed as a long interval, So hard to know
What is the minimum dose you should aim for vo2max training session? Is 3x3min enough to get good stimulus? Or should it be at least 15min? Is 20-30min optimal?
1 Like
Lol, I use 34 x 16 for every workout on my Kickr Core!
its not always that bad, but there are absolutely times when I can pedal sloppy in a low gear and watch HR go up 5-10bpm.
The maximum HR you will achieve doing a given activity will vary depending on the activity. You’ll reach a higher heart rate if you do an all out effort on the bike out of the saddle vs in the saddle. You’ll read a higher heart rate sprinting to exhaustion than you will doing index finger curls to exhaustion.
If your HR was higher at the end of a crit than it is at the end of a ramp test…I’d say that’s consistent with my experience as well. If go as hard as I can for 10 minutes then get up out of the saddle and sprint my HR is generally higher than if I go all out for 10 minutes an sprint seated.
What was your HR during the last minute of your last few ramp tests? I’d start there. If you want a little more defined consider Stephen Seiler’s advice:
Here is an interesting chart from that presentation that I had forgotten about!
Once upon a time I shared that in my VO2max tests O2 consumption reached a maximal plateau, then the test went on for a while, then my power output reached a maximal plateau & at about that time my HR also reached a max. Somebody once told me there must be something wrong with my heart for this to be true. 
If that’s true a lot of people have something wrong with their heart!
But, anyhow, maximal heartrate is typically not achieved for a given activity during a VO2max test. Interesting stuff. Your max heart rate is HIGHER than the heart rate you achieve at max O2 consumption.
What is that chart supposed to show/what is it based on? (The font makes me think that it may be out of Astrand’s classic text - I will have to check.)
Anyhoo, the typical pattern for HR during a VOmax test is for HR to only increase by 1-3 bpm over the last minute or so. Given day-to-day variability, such changes aren’t significant. IOW, you’re most correct in saying, e.g., “my max HR is about 180 bpm”, as opposed to saying, “my max HR is 180.0000 bpm”.
If your HR climbs significantly more than that at the end of a test, either you didn’t get to max, the rate of increase in demand was too great (so that you fatigued right at max), or there’s a problem with either the equipment or your heart.
ETA: If anyone wants more information on the hemodynamic responses to exercise eliciting VO2max, I suggest starting by reading Joel Trinity’s work.
Thanks for the reply.
I’ll keep my HR where it’s at and just do my best with whatever workout comes up. In the last 2:40 seconds of a crit my HR average was 198, then as I “sprinted” to the line is when I hit 201. That was an hour long crit. I’ve seen a couple of these things about getting your Max HR and you LTHR and I’m beginning to think what I’ve done is pretty damn close. A lot closer than if I tried some test to get those values.
On my last two Ramp Tests;
December HR over last minute: 181
January HR over the last minute: 180
I don’t know…I’m hitting the mid winter I don’t like bikes blues again so I’m not sure this is much of a concern for me anymore. I’ll be lucky to get on the bike 3 times a week for a while if past moods like this are any indication.
I just keep my HR at 200, LTHR 180 and be done.
Thanks again for taking the time to answer my earlier question.
1 Like
fet_och_gammal…one thing to thing about…look at all that data Dr. Seiler presented. Indoors, outdoors, structured, tests, races, constant efforts, stochastic efforts. You should notice that they’re all pretty similar.
Your race max HR and your ramp test max HR are pretty far from similar. Something is up there & it might be asking yourself what it is. If you told me you were racing on an upright bike but doing ramp tests on a recumbent then those HR differences might be ok.
But, same bike, same athlete…20 bpm difference? That’s a pretty interesting difference, for sure.
1 Like